A General History of the Pirates

was forc’d into their service, and took the first opportunity to get from them, and therefore receiv’d a pardon; but Walter Kennedy being a notorious offender, was executed the 19th of July, 1721, at execution dock.

The rest of the pirates who were left in the ship Rover, stayed not long behind, for they went ashore to one of the West India islands; what became of them afterwards, I can’t tell, but the ship was found at sea by a sloop belonging to St. Christopher’s, and carried into that island with only nine Negroes aboard.

Thus we see what a disastrous fate ever attends the wicked, and how rarely they escape the punishment due to their crimes, who, abandon’d to such a profligate life, rob, spoil, and prey upon mankind, contrary to the light and law of nature, as well as the law of God. It might have been hoped, that the examples of these deaths, would have been as marks to the remainder of this gang, how to shun the rocks their companions had split on; that they would have surrendered to mercy, or divided themselves, forever from such pursuits, as in the end they might be sure would subject them to the same law and punishment, which they must be conscious they now equally deserved; impending law, which never let them sleep well, unless when drunk. But all the use that was made of it here, was to commend the justice of the court, that condemn’d Kennedy, for he was a sad dog (they said) and deserved the fate he met with.

But to go back to Roberts, whom we left on the coast of Caiana, in a grievous passion at what Kennedy and the crew had done; and who was now projecting new adventures with his small company in the sloop; but finding hitherto they had been but as a rope of sand, they formed a set of articles, to be signed and sworn to, for the better conservation of their society, and doing justice to one another; excluding all Irish men from the benefit of it, to whom they had an implacable aversion upon the account of Kennedy. How indeed Roberts could think that an oath would be obligatory, where defiance had been given to the laws of God and man, I can’t tell, but he thought their greatest security lay in this, that it was everyone’s interest to observe them if they were minded to keep up so abominable a combination.

The following, is the substance of the articles, as taken from the pirate’s own informations.

1. Every man has a vote in affairs of moment; has equal title to the fresh provisions, or strong liquors, at any time seized, and use them at pleasure, unless a scarcity (no uncommon thing among them) make it necessary, for the good of all, to vote a retrenchment.

2. Every man to be called fairly in turn, by list, on board of prizes, because, (over and above their proper share,) they were on these occasions allowed a shift of clothes: but if they defrauded the company to the value of a dollar, in plate, jewels, or money, marooning was their punishment. This was a barbarous custom of putting the offender onshore, on some desolate or uninhabited cape or island, with a gun, a few shot, a bottle of water, and a bottle of powder, to subsist with, or starve. If the robbery was only between one another, they contented themselves with slitting the ears and nose of him that was guilty, and set him onshore, not in an uninhabited place, but somewhere, where he was sure to encounter hardships.

3. No person to game at cards or dice for money.

4. The lights and candles to be put out at eight o’clock at night: if any of the crew, after that hour, still remained inclined for drinking, they were to do it on the open deck; which Roberts believed would give a check to their debauches, for he was a sober man himself, but found at length, that all his endeavours to put an end to this debauch, proved ineffectual.

5. To keep their piece, pistols, and cutlash clean, and fit for service: In this they were extravagantly nice, endeavouring to outdo one another, in the beauty and richness of their arms, giving sometimes at an auction (at the mast,) 30 or 40 £. a pair, for pistols. These were slung in time of service, with different coloured ribbons, over their shoulders, in a way peculiar to these fellows, in which they took great delight.

6. No boy or woman to be allowed amongst them. If any man were sound seducing any of the latter sex, and carried her to sea, disguised, he was to suffer death; so that when any fell into their hands, as it chanced in the Onslow, they put a sentinel immediately over her to prevent ill consequences from so dangerous an instrument of division and quarrel; but then here lies the roguery; they contend who shall be sentinel, which happens generally to one of the greatest bullies, who, to secure the lady’s virtue, will let none lie with her but himself.

7. To desert the ship, or their quarters in battle, was punished with death, or marooning.

8. No striking one another on board, but every man’s quarrels to be ended onshore, at sword and pistol, thus; The quartermaster of the ship, when the parties will not come to any reconciliation, accompanies them onshore with what assistance he thinks proper, and turns the disputants back to back, at so many paces distance: at the word of command, they turn and fire immediately, (or else the piece is knocked out of their hands:) If both miss, they come to their cutlashes, and then he is declared victor who draws the first blood.

9. No man to talk of breaking up their way of living, till each had shared a 1,000 £. If in order to this, any man should lose a limb, or become a cripple